The former drummer of 1980s pop group Culture Club will be paid £1.75 million by his old bandmates after a High Court case was resolved a week before a trial was due to take place. Jon Moss brought legal action against singer Boy George, guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Michael Craig after allegedly being "expelled" by their manager in 2018 after 37 years.
A court order issued on Tuesday said the group had agreed that a judgment should be made in favour of Mr Moss, with his ex-bandmates required to pay him £1.75 million immediately. The order approved by Mrs Justice Joanna Smith said Mr Moss had agreed to "relinquish" any right to the Culture Club name and its use, including in connection with concerts and merchandise.
A six-day trial due to start next week was set to determine the value of the Culture Club name, the profits made by the band since Mr Moss’s alleged expulsion, and the amount he might be entitled to receive. The High Court previously heard that the band had settled a dispute over whether there was a “continuing partnership” since the formation of Culture Club – a group best known for hits such as Do You Really Want To Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon – with Boy George, Mr Hay and Mr Craig conceding there was until Mr Moss’s departure.
